Stafford planning approval rate
Stafford council approved 83.2% of planning applications and refused 16.8%, based on 2,971 decisions analysed. Ranked 30th out of 279 councils for strictness.
Last updated: June 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present
83.2%
overall approval rate
2,971
Decisions analysed
2,473
Approved
498
Refused
23
Wards covered
Planning in Stafford? Check your postcode to see approval rates specific to your ward and street.
Approval rate by application type
Different application types have different approval rates in Stafford. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
83.5%
90.3%
78.6%
70.6%
92.9%
78.2%
83.0%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Stafford — mined from 2,971 proposal descriptions.
80.7%
86.5%
86.5%
79.7%
80.9%
70.4%
92.0%
79.5%
86.9%
83.7%
90.9%
86.7%
100.0%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Stafford. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Eccleshall
82.4%
Milwich
85.5%
Swynnerton And Oulton
84.4%
Seighford And Church Eaton
82.5%
Gnosall And Woodseaves
80.2%
Haywood And Hixon
80.3%
Forebridge
81.4%
St Michaels And Stonefield
85.5%
Fulford
80.0%
Milford
88.5%
Weeping Cross And Wildwood
83.7%
Baswich
82.9%
Manor
79.2%
Rowley
85.7%
Walton
83.8%
Barlaston
85.1%
Holmcroft
87.1%
Coton
88.5%
Littleworth
78.0%
Common
77.6%
Wards in Stafford
Eccleshall
82.4% approval · 340 decisions
Milwich
85.5% approval · 318 decisions
Swynnerton And Oulton
84.4% approval · 276 decisions
Seighford And Church Eaton
82.5% approval · 251 decisions
Gnosall And Woodseaves
80.2% approval · 197 decisions
Haywood And Hixon
80.3% approval · 178 decisions
Forebridge
81.4% approval · 177 decisions
St Michaels And Stonefield
85.5% approval · 172 decisions
Fulford
80.0% approval · 125 decisions
Milford
88.5% approval · 104 decisions
Weeping Cross And Wildwood
83.7% approval · 98 decisions
Baswich
82.9% approval · 82 decisions
Manor
79.2% approval · 77 decisions
Rowley
85.7% approval · 77 decisions
Walton
83.8% approval · 74 decisions
Barlaston
85.1% approval · 74 decisions
Holmcroft
87.1% approval · 62 decisions
Coton
88.5% approval · 61 decisions
Littleworth
78.0% approval · 59 decisions
Common
77.6% approval · 58 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Stafford, showing how the council decides real applications.
Erection of a single-storey rear extension extending 4.5 metres beyond the rear · Coton · Fri 26 Jun 2026
Extension to front of property. Alterations to existing conservatory including r · Eccleshall · Fri 26 Jun 2026
Erection of a dwelling and detached garage · Eccleshall · Fri 26 Jun 2026
Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Stafford, 1 in 6 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Full Planning Analysis gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:
✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Stafford
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Stafford →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Stafford
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 2,971 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Stafford
What is the planning approval rate in Stafford?
Based on 2,971 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Stafford approved 83.2% of applications and refused 16.8%. The council is ranked 30th out of 279 UK councils for approval rate.
Which areas of Stafford have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Stafford are in Coton (88.5%), Milford (88.5%), and Holmcroft (87.1%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward — see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Stafford?
The most common planning application types in Stafford are: Full (1,729 decisions, 83.5% approved), Trees (402, 90.3%), and Certificate of Lawfulness (265, 77.7%).
How long does a planning application take in Stafford?
Planning applications in Stafford take an average of 18.4 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 2,885 decisions with a recorded timeline. That is slower than the 8-week statutory target for householder applications (the statutory targets are 8 weeks for householder applications and 13 weeks for major developments). PlanningLens measures the actual time each application takes, not just the target. Stafford decides approximately 495 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Stafford?
You can search planning applications in Stafford directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 2,971 historical decisions in Stafford to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Stafford calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Stafford's official planning portal and analyses every published decision since January 2020. The approval rate is calculated as approved decisions divided by total decided applications, excluding withdrawn and pending applications. The full methodology, data sourcing, and Creative Commons BY 4.0 licensing terms are published at planninglens.co.uk/methodology.